


Holidays at Hogsmeade

by missduckky



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: A bit sad, F/M, Gen, I promise, Mostly Fluff, Post - Deathly Hallows, because death is never a happy topic, but there is a happy ending, non-slash Harry/Draco
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-02
Updated: 2014-02-02
Packaged: 2018-01-10 21:46:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1164899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missduckky/pseuds/missduckky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was the first Christmas after the Battle of Hogwarts. Hermione hadn't seen Ron since September 1st at the King's Cross, so their date was long overdue. Neville and Luna went on their first date, but the date didn't go the way they expected. Harry found himself having an awkward conversation with Draco at Hog's Head, and he finally said things he should've said a long time ago. </p><p>Wrote this for the fanfiction portion of my Theoretical Harry Potter final exam. Even though there was a ridiculous list of requirements for the fanfiction, I had fun writing this. Didn't expect it to become quite sad toward the end, though. But there is a happy ending, I promise!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Holidays at Hogsmeade

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for the fan fiction portion of my Theoretical Harry Potter final exam (the other portion is an essay). It was fun writing this, but oh god, the requirements! Here are the requirements, in case you're curious: 
> 
> 1) Three of these major characters: Snape, Voldemort, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville.  
> 2) Two of these minor characters: Luna, Lily, Sirius, Bellatrix, Crookshanks, Hagrid, Dobby, McGonagall, Nagini, Draco.  
> 3) A particular theme or question from one of our ESSAYS for class should be used to permeate the story somehow. This theme or question that you develop should be “asked and answered” in the course of the story. You could even put in the writer of the essay into this fan fiction piece.  
> 4) Three of these props: Invisibility Cloak, Marauder’s Map, Mirror of Erised, Knight Bus, sneakoscope, Arthur’s car.  
> 5) One of the settings should include at least one of these: Room of Requirement, Hogsmeade, Godric’s Hollow, Ministry of Magic, Knockturn Alley, Forest of Dean, London (a site from the books).
> 
> Incorporate two of these themes or issues below in addition to the above:  
> \- Genre mixing  
> \- Good versus evil (or oppression versus freedom, etc)  
> \- Political or educational oppression  
> \- Love or sex  
> \- A cross-cultural misunderstanding
> 
> It wasn't easy to figure out how to include these requirements, but I did it! (I think...) Really, I just wanted to write about Neville and Luna and have Harry say something that I want him to say. Ron and Hermione were just there because I need them to. 
> 
> Unbeta'd because I procrastinated and never got around having it edited by someone else. Don't do it at school, kids.

Snow was falling heavily outside the windows of the Gryffindor common room, and a fire was burning in the fireplace, casting a warm glow onto the hearth where a large orange cat with a flat face was sleeping. His owner was sitting on a sofa with a throw blanket wrapped around her body and a thick book in her laps. She was the only one in the common room; everyone else was either home for the holidays or at Hogsmeade, enjoying the snow. She reached for her brown curls but stopped midway, remembering the amount of time and effort she put in taming her unruly frizz into somewhat decent curls. She knew he didn’t care what her hair looked like, but she hadn’t seen him since September, so she wanted to dress up for the occasion. Suddenly aware of how well dressed she was, she shifted uncomfortably, slipping her hand beneath the blanket and tugging at her dark red dress. She freed her hand from the blanket to turn a page and resumed reading. Something creaked behind her, and she looked over her shoulder, her hand clutching her wand instinctively. 

Nobody was in the room, but she swore she saw a slight movement near the portrait of the Fat Lady. Still clutching her wand, she turned slowly to her book, but her attention was anywhere but at the book. She loosened the blanket around her as subtly as she could, in case she had to run or fight. The common room became quiet apart from the logs crackling––

The floor creaked right behind the sofa, and she got on her knees, her wand pointing at an empty space where the sound came from. 

“Hermione, it’s me!”

“Ron?” Hermione lowered her wand immediately as Ron’s head emerged from nowhere. “What are you doing with Harry’s Invisibility Cloak?” 

Ron shrugged off the cloak and draped it over his arm. Hermione’s eyes traveled down from Ron’s head to his shoes and hummed appreciatively. Ron was wearing a dark brown shearling bomber jacket over a knitted sweater in a similar shade of red as Hermione’s dress and a dark buttoned shirt, the collar folded over the sweater. His dark jeans fit tightly, emphasizing his long legs. He looked good, Hermione thought. Ron had been away for too long. 

“Harry wants me to drop it off with the Marauders’ Map for Ginny to sneak out when she’s done with her detention. I thought I would… sneak up on you and surprise you, but that was clearly a really bad idea.” 

“Clearly! I almost Stunned you!” 

“Are you sure about that? Because I think you just did stun me, baby,” Ron said, his voice deeper than the usual. Hermione raised an eyebrow, suppressing a giggle. Ron grimaced. “Oh Merlin, that was terrible. But you do look stunning from what I can see. C’mere. Let me see you.” 

Hermione pushed herself off the sofa, smoothed her dress, and took Ron’s hand. 

“Gorgeous,” Ron said, smiling. “I miss you.” 

“I miss you too,” said Hermione, stepping closer to Ron. She stood on her tiptoes, tilted her chin, and kissed Ron. They swayed on the spot for a bit, but then Ron leaned back and lifted the cloak. 

“I’d love to kiss some more, but we better get going before it gets dark. And I need you to bring the cloak and the map up to Ginny’s bed. Please.” 

Hermione made a face, grabbing the cloak as Ron tugged the map out of his jacket pocket. She snatched the map out of Ron’s hand and walked backward toward the staircase to the girls’ dormitories. 

“You owe me, Ronald Bilius Weasley, and grab my coat.”

 

“I’m sorry that this date is a disaster.”

“Oh no, Neville,” said Luna, brushing the snow off her coat as she and Neville stepped inside Hogwarts. Neville shook his head. “It was simply not the right date for us.”

“Well, what do we do now? I didn’t come all way to Hogwarts to take you out and have it end like this.” 

Luna tucked her hands in her coat pockets and glanced around in the Entrance Hall. “We could walk around. The castle is quiet.” 

“Okay,” Neville said, shoving his hands in his pants pockets then taking one out and offering his arm to Luna. Luna smiled timidly as she took his arm. “Off we go to the first floor.” 

They walked around the castle, exchanging small talks, mostly about what Neville had been doing since he finished school. 

“I mean, working for Kingsley Shacklebolt is great, but I don’t see myself working at the Ministry of Magic for the rest of my life.”

“What do you want to do?” Luna asked, her round silver eyes staring at Neville, as they landed on the seventh floor. 

“I don’t know,” Neville replied, gently removing himself from Luna’s hold. He walked past a tapestry, while Luna stood with her arms folded across her chest. 

“You’re good at Herbology, aren’t you?” Luna said, and Neville walked back to her. He shrugged. 

“Yeah, Herbology is the only subject I’m good at. But what does that do for me? I can’t work at St. Mungo’s. Not with my mom and dad there.” 

“You could teach Herbology here.”

Neville’s eyebrows shot up. “Me teaching?”

“Why not? You know the subject really well.” 

“I don’t think I’ll be a good teacher. Kids won’t like me. I-I won’t be good with them.”

“That’s not true, Neville,” Luna said, resting her hand on Neville’s arm. “Everyone in Dumbledore’s Army likes you. You were our leader.”

“That’s different,” Neville said, shaking his head as he stepped away from Luna. “You all are my friends.” 

He sighed and walked past the tapestry again. 

“Neville, look!” 

Neville turned around and saw Luna pointing at a door, which was not there before. He looked at the tapestry and gasped. “The Room of Requirement.”

“Guess the Fiendfyre did not destroy it after all.” Luna grabbed the door handle and pushed it open. Neville peered inside and saw a small room empty except for a tall mirror standing in the middle of the room. Neville and Luna exchanged looks and stepped inside the room. “Neville, what did you require?” 

“I… I was thinking about how much I wish I knew what I want.” 

Luna walked toward the mirror and read the engraving on the mirror. “ _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_ ,” she murmured to herself, then she cocked her head to her right and mouthed words. “The words are mirrored. ‘I show not your face but your heart's desire.’ It’s the Mirror of Erised.” 

 

Harry took a swig of his butterbeer and exhaled happily as the warmth of the drink trickled down inside his body. He set his mug on the bar countertop and glanced around. The Hog’s Head was not packed with people, but it was not as empty as it used to be before the war. Now known as the location with the secret passage that people used to escape or join the battle, Hog’s Head had become more popular over the year. Students were no longer skeptical of the dodgy place, and many of them had taken a liking to Aberforth Dumbledore and his goats. Harry knew that Aberforth missed the solitude he had prior to the Battle of Hogwarts, but his business was booming and he finally was getting recognized for his accomplishments rather than being the late Albus Dumbledore’s brother. Harry watched Aberforth scrubbing the countertop with a wet rag while talking to a drunk man who was mumbling about his cheating wife. Aberforth was nodding in agreement to the drunk man’s nonsensical mumblings, his blue eyes twinkling very much like Dumbledore’s would do when he was amused by something. Harry smiled at himself as he ran his finger around the brim of his mug. The door opened, letting in a rush of cold air, and Harry looked up from his mug to a sneakoscope partially hidden behind bottles and mugs on the back bar. Even though the war was over, a lot of people were still wary of each other and constantly vigilant for Death Eaters who went into hiding, angry supporters of Voldemort who sought revenge, or thieves who lost everything to the war. Aberforth played an active role in the Battle of Hogwarts, so he was targeted often. Fortunately for Aberforth, he hadn’t been attacked, but Hog’s Head had a couple of break-ins and robbery. The sneakoscope would light up, spin, and whistle to warn Aberforth of untrustworthy intruders, but it now lay unmoved. 

A person walked in and sat on a bar stool about ten feet away from Harry. Harry didn’t look up when the person walked in, but once the person entered Harry’s peripheral vision, Harry realized that the person looked awfully familiar. He turned his head toward the person and cocked his eyebrow. Draco Malfoy was resting his elbows on the countertop, his fingers tapping softly on the surface. Aberforth came up to Malfoy and asked how he may help him. 

“Butterbeer, please,” Malfoy said wearily, and his eyes flicked toward Harry. They stared at each other for a few seconds in awkward silence, then Malfoy looked away when Aberforth placed a mug of warm butterbeer in front of Malfoy. Harry returned to his mug, and Aberforth looked at them with a quizzical smile. Harry and Malfoy drank in silence, fully aware of each other’s presence, and thoughts ran in Harry’s head. What is Malfoy doing in Hogsmeade? Why isn’t he home with his family? 

“Surprised to see you here, Potter,” Malfoy said, breaking the silence. Harry looked at him. “Thought you would be home with the blood tra–” He closed his mouth, his jaw now clenching. The Malfoys were pardoned for their crimes since they didn’t fight on the Dark side in the Battle of Hogwarts and Lucius Malfoy gave evidence and information that resulted in the capture of many Death Eaters who went into hiding after Voldemort’s fall. Because of what the Malfoys did, they were marked as traitors by Voldemort’s followers, and apparently, Malfoy hadn’t gotten used to his new label as a traitor. “The Weasleys.” 

“Funny, I could ask you the same thing,” Harry said, “because I didn’t think you would spend holidays away from your parents.”

 Malfoy narrowed his eyes. Harry scoffed.

“Ginny is staying for the holidays to practice Quidditch. The Holyhead Harpies are looking into recruiting her. I’m here to take her out on a date, but she got in a detention for fighting the Slytherin Quidditch captain over the possession of the Quidditch field. Her hexes have gotten loads better.” 

Harry flashed a proud smile at Malfoy, who stared at him stoically. Harry knew Malfoy wouldn’t share why he was in Hog’s Head instead of the Malfoy Manor for the holidays, so he turned away and back to his butterbeer. Malfoy looked down as well. The awkward silence resumed. 

 

The snow was still falling heavily as Ron and Hermione walked down the main road in Hogsmeade, Ron’s arm wrapped around Hermione’s waist, keeping her close to him. Hermione was nibbling on chocolate, her cheeks pink from the cold. 

“So, we got _a lot_ of sweets from Honeydukes,” Hermione said, tilting her head toward the bag that Ron was holding in his other hand. Ron chuckled. “But where do we go next?”

“I got a table for us at Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop,” Ron said earnestly. 

“No, you didn’t!” 

“No, I didn’t,” Ron laughed. Hermione smacked his chest, and he feigned pain. “But I was thinking about going to Three Broomsticks. There you can tell me all about your latest progress with S.P.E.W.” 

“And my letters weren’t enough?” Hermione teased, and Ron shook his head. 

“No, because I didn’t get to see your pretty face lighten up when you talk about S.P.E.W.” 

Hermione’s cheeks got pinker, and she bit into her chocolate, a small smile playing on her lips. Ron squeezed her waist, and they stumbled through the snow toward Three Broomsticks. Three Broomsticks was packed full with people chatting and slugging their drinks. From where they were standing, Ron and Hermione couldn’t see any table available for them. 

“Why can’t they all stay home and celebrate the holidays like normal people do?” Ron muttered close to Hermione’s ears, and she shrugged. 

“Maybe there is a table somewhere in the back,” she said, tugging Ron’s arm. They weaved through the busy tables and rowdy people, searching until they found a table for two tucked into corner in the back of the pub. 

“I didn’t expect to see so many people here,” Ron said after he sat down and placed the sweets bag on the table. Hermione surveyed the room with her lips pursed, and Ron watched her with a fond smile. 

“Maybe they don’t have families to go home and celebrate with. A lot of people died during the war. For many, this Christmas is their first without their loved ones there.” 

Ron nodded solemnly, his eyes starting to water. “This is the first Christmas without Fred.” 

Hermione reached for Ron’s hands and squeezed them, her eyes shiny with tears. “And Remus and Tonks. It will be a hard time for all of us, and maybe coming here and celebrating with strangers is easier for them.” 

“Yeah…” Ron said quietly. Hermione squeezed his hands again.

“Hey, I have an idea. This place is too crowded and depressing, so why don’t we go back to Hogwarts?”

Ron’s face crumbled, his mouth slack and his eyes red-rimmed, and Hermione realized her mistake, mentioning Hogwarts where Fred died. 

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” Hermione scooted closer to the table, leaned over the table top, and tightened her grip on Ron’s hands. “What I should’ve said is that we should go to the prefects’ bathroom and continue our date in a hot bubble bath.” 

Ron blinked, and slowly his lips curved into a smirk. “I like what you’re thinking, Miss Granger.” 

Hermione laughed as she stood, pulling Ron to his feet, and Ron snatched the sweets bag. They hurried out of the crowded Three Broomstick and scampered on the snow toward the castle

 

Luna moved away from the Mirror of Erised, her eyes traveling over the elaborately carved mirror frame. Neville joined her side. 

“What does it do?” he asked. 

“It shows you your deepest desire. Go over there.” Luna nudged Neville, and he stumbled forward. He studied his reflection, his mouth agape. “What do you see?”

Neville mouthed something, but no sound came out. He then cleared his throat. “I see my parents in what looks like a living room, and they are healthy. They… they recognize me, and they are smiling at me. They’re proud of me. And, I see my family. I mean my future family. I have a wife, a son, and a daughter. Maybe the living room is my house. It’s a nice living room. There are a lot of plants in the room… My parents, my family, they look happy… I look happy.” 

“That’s great, Neville,” Luna said, smiling. Neville stared at the Mirror for a few seconds and then grabbed Luna.

“Your turn. What do you see?” 

Luna studied her reflection. “I see myself in a forest, and I’m dressed in hiking clothes and wearing a hat. Many creatures surround me, and I don’t recognize any of these creatures. Maybe I discover these creatures. What do you think, Neville?”

“I reckon so,” Neville said. “Only you would find all of these creatures.” 

Luna smiled brightly. 

“It seems like you will become a famous naturalist, traveling all over the world and discovering all these species that nobody thinks existed.”

“Neville,” Luna said, smiling gently. “The Mirror shows what you desire, not what will happen in the future.”

“But you can get what you desire,” Neville said, “and I know you can, Luna.” 

Luna’s smile grew, but then sadness came over her face. “You can, too. I know your parents will not become better, but if they know what you have done and who you have become, they will be proud of you.”

“But they don’t know,” Neville said miserably. “They will never know.” 

“True, but the Mirror shows you another thing, your future family. You will have a wife and two kids, and you have plants in your living room. You’re a great man, Neville, and you will have a family and a happy life.” 

Neville smiled weakly at Luna, who smiled in return even though she still seemed sad. Neville frowned. 

“What’s matter?” Neville asked as he placed his hands on Luna’s shoulders. Luna looked straight at Neville and sighed. 

“We won’t work well together as a couple.” 

Neville drooped his head and withdrew his hands from Luna’s shoulders to tuck them in his pockets. 

“I like you, Neville. I really do. But we want different things in life. The Mirror showed us that. You want to settle down, have a family, and have a good job. I want to travel and explore the wilderness for new species. I don’t know if I will want a family, and if I do, that may be later in life. I’m sorry, Neville.”

Neville shrugged. “You don’t have to apologize. I came to the same conclusion. Beside, according to the Mirror, my wife looks nothing like you.”

Luna laughed. “What does she look like, then?”

“Well, it was hard to see her clearly, because she was in the background. But she has blond hair, not like your hair, but different.” 

“Interesting,” Luna said sincerely, and Neville chuckled. 

“So,” he said, “do we stay friends?”

“Yes, we stay friends,” she said. “Shall we continue our stroll around the castle?”

“Sure,” Neville said. “I better start looking for all blonde girls until I find my future wife.”

Luna laughed again, grabbing Neville’s arm as they walked toward the door. 

 

Half an hour had passed without Harry and Malfoy saying a word to each other. Harry got his butterbeer refilled, and Malfoy was sipping his drink slowly. Detention must had taken longer than Ginny estimated, and the sky started to darken. Harry hoped that Ginny would be here soon, for he got tired of sitting and doing nothing but drinking butterbeer. At least he had a reason for sitting so long in Hog’s Head, but he wasn’t sure about Malfoy. Why was he here instead of at his home with his parents? Harry tried to picture Christmas at the Malfoy Manor, and the image was very cold. The Malfoys would have a large Christmas tree perfectly decorated with expensive ornaments and a tree topper. Under the tree would be many neatly wrapped presents for Draco Malfoy. But there would be nothing else in the house that was festive. Harry had seen the Manor, and it was too cold and lavish to feel homey, unlike the Burrow. 

The Burrow, Harry thought with pain in his heart. Christmas at the Burrow wouldn’t be the same without Fred. As Christmas approached, Mrs. Weasley had a hard time stopping crying, and yarns she tended to use to make Weasley sweaters lay in a basket, still wounded up into balls. Ginny said she wanted to stay at the castle to practice Quidditch, but Harry knew she wasn’t ready to go home. Ron and Hermione were the same way. Hermione stayed at the castle to be with Ginny, and Ron used this as an opportunity to spend some time away from the Burrow for the holidays. Harry and Ron would still go to the Burrow on the Christmas Day, because they couldn’t leave Mr. and Mrs. Weasley alone for Christmas, but Harry knew nothing would ever be the same. 

Harry looked at Malfoy. Harry and the Weasleys were not the only ones who suffered loss, he realized. As much as Harry hated her, Bellatrix Lestrange was family to the Malfoys. Harry had no idea what kind of aunt Bellatrix was to Malfoy, but he assumed that Bellatrix and Narcissa Malfoy were quite close––definitely closer than they would be with their other sister Andromeda. Even if Malfoy was not grieving for Bellatrix, Narcissa probably was, and that probably made their home more depressing. Harry suddenly didn’t blame Malfoy for not celebrating the holidays at his home. 

Harry’s mind flashed back to nearly a year ago when the Snatchers brought him, Ron and Hermione to the Malfoy Manor. He thought he was for sure going to be killed, because Malfoy could easily identify him, Ron and Hermione. Malfoy didn’t, though, and that gave them a chance to escape. Then, later in the Forbidden Forest after Voldemort blasted the Killing Curse at Harry and Harry talked with Dumbledore, Narcissa knelt down with her long blonde hair hiding his face from other Death Eaters and felt his beating heart. She could have told Voldemort that Harry was still alive, and Voldemort would try to kill him again and succeed. Instead, Narcissa asked if Draco was still alive and in the castle, and then she lied to Voldemort. If it were not for Narcissa and Draco Malfoy, Harry would be dead long before he could stop Voldemort. Harry didn’t like to admit this, but he owed them his life. 

“Thank you,” Harry said to Draco, and Draco looked up, startled. 

“For what?” 

“For not telling your parents and the Snatchers that it was me.”

Draco paled, his shoulders tensed up. 

“And please, tell your mother thank you for letting me live. You have a great mother who cares about you a lot.”

Draco’s shoulders relaxed slightly, and he bowed his head. “Will do, Potter. Thank you.” 

The door opened, and Harry saw Ginny jogging toward him, her hair flying behind her and her mouth stretched into a grin. Harry hopped off his stool, and Ginny threw her arms around Harry’s neck, her lips crashing into Harry’s. They broke apart, and Ginny let out a loud sigh. 

“I’m so sorry for being late. Professor––”

Harry kissed her again to silence her. Ginny smirked.

“I don’t care,” Harry said. “You’re here now, and that’s what matters.” 

Then Harry brought his lips to Ginny’s ear and whispered, “Where are the Invisibility Cloak and the map?” 

“In the bag,” Ginny whispered and pulled out a small beaded bag very similar to Hermione’s from her winter cloak. 

“All right,” Harry said, grinning. “Let’s go! We don't have a lot of time before the stores close.” 

Ginny grabbed Harry’s hand and started pulling him out of Hog’s Head, but Harry stopped at the door. He turned around and looked at Draco, who had returned to his drink. 

“Happy Christmas, Draco,” Harry said, nodding at Draco. Draco looked over his shoulder and nodded in return. Ginny raised her eyebrow at Harry. 

“I’ll explain, but first, let’s get some food for you. You haven’t eaten, have you?”

“No, I’m starving!”

Harry and Ginny left Hog’s Head and strolled down the main road, their hips attached and their arms around each other’s waist tightly to keep each other warm. The snow continued to fall, white flurries contrasting with the darkening sky, transforming Hogsmeade into a winter wonderland and a place where people could find happiness in a dark time. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
